... I just felt like saying that.
Exodus 15:25
God said, "If you listen, listen obediently to how God tells you to live in his presence, obeying his commandments and keeping all his laws, then I won't strike you with all the diseases that I inflicted on the Egyptians; I am God your healer."
Now after a beginning like that, you'd think that my sermon is going to be on obedience. Really, it's not. It's simply on a portion of the Wilderness experience which may or may not be followed up later on with another portion.
First of all, let me apologize for just getting this up today. Things just popped up yesterday continuously and had me out of my house all day (and night). They were really quite unexpected and I really had little to no control.
Now this sermon had really begun last week when someone very dear to me and I had our hearts hit to look up the Wilderness experience. He did it to share it with a youth group and now I'm sharing the portion that the Lord had given to me with you all. It won't be a very wordy sermon but more a rather Wordy one, if you get what I mean.
Exodus 16
Manna and Quail
1 The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. 2 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death."
After being set free, there are times when you’ll look back at your old life and the very things which you had been set free from and your flesh will be tempted to go back into the world. It is usually particularly hard when you have friends and persons around you who seem to have it better than you do and you seem to be at a disadvantage for being set apart by God. Your flesh will grow envious of them because it will seem as if they have a better life than you do.
Despite that fact, it is to remember the promises of God given to His children despite the seeming 'disadvantage' that the world thinks that we're at.
Psalm 73
1-5 No doubt about it! God is good— good to good people, good to the good-hearted.
But I nearly missed it,
missed seeing his goodness.
I was looking the other way,
looking up to the people
At the top,
envying the wicked who have it made,
Who have nothing to worry about,
not a care in the whole wide world.
6-10 Pretentious with arrogance,
they wear the latest fashions in violence,
Pampered and overfed,
decked out in silk bows of silliness.
They jeer, using words to kill;
they bully their way with words.
They're full of hot air,
loudmouths disturbing the peace.
People actually listen to them—can you believe it?
Like thirsty puppies, they lap up their words.
11-14 What's going on here? Is God out to lunch?
Nobody's tending the store.
The wicked get by with everything;
they have it made, piling up riches.
I've been stupid to play by the rules;
what has it gotten me?
A long run of bad luck, that's what—
a slap in the face every time I walk out the door.
15-20 If I'd have given in and talked like this,
I would have betrayed your dear children.
Still, when I tried to figure it out,
all I got was a splitting headache . . .
Until I entered the sanctuary of God.
Then I saw the whole picture:
The slippery road you've put them on,
with a final crash in a ditch of delusions.
In the blink of an eye, disaster!
A blind curve in the dark, and—nightmare!
We wake up and rub our eyes....Nothing.
There's nothing to them. And there never was.
21-24 When I was beleaguered and bitter,
totally consumed by envy,
I was totally ignorant, a dumb ox
in your very presence.
I'm still in your presence,
but you've taken my hand.
You wisely and tenderly lead me,
and then you bless me.
25-28 You're all I want in heaven!
You're all I want on earth!
When my skin sags and my bones get brittle,
God is rock-firm and faithful.
Look! Those who left you are falling apart!
Deserters, they'll never be heard from again.
But I'm in the very presence of God—
oh, how refreshing it is!
I've made Lord God my home.
God, I'm telling the world what you do!
But I nearly missed it,
missed seeing his goodness.
I was looking the other way,
looking up to the people
At the top,
envying the wicked who have it made,
Who have nothing to worry about,
not a care in the whole wide world.
6-10 Pretentious with arrogance,
they wear the latest fashions in violence,
Pampered and overfed,
decked out in silk bows of silliness.
They jeer, using words to kill;
they bully their way with words.
They're full of hot air,
loudmouths disturbing the peace.
People actually listen to them—can you believe it?
Like thirsty puppies, they lap up their words.
11-14 What's going on here? Is God out to lunch?
Nobody's tending the store.
The wicked get by with everything;
they have it made, piling up riches.
I've been stupid to play by the rules;
what has it gotten me?
A long run of bad luck, that's what—
a slap in the face every time I walk out the door.
15-20 If I'd have given in and talked like this,
I would have betrayed your dear children.
Still, when I tried to figure it out,
all I got was a splitting headache . . .
Until I entered the sanctuary of God.
Then I saw the whole picture:
The slippery road you've put them on,
with a final crash in a ditch of delusions.
In the blink of an eye, disaster!
A blind curve in the dark, and—nightmare!
We wake up and rub our eyes....Nothing.
There's nothing to them. And there never was.
21-24 When I was beleaguered and bitter,
totally consumed by envy,
I was totally ignorant, a dumb ox
in your very presence.
I'm still in your presence,
but you've taken my hand.
You wisely and tenderly lead me,
and then you bless me.
25-28 You're all I want in heaven!
You're all I want on earth!
When my skin sags and my bones get brittle,
God is rock-firm and faithful.
Look! Those who left you are falling apart!
Deserters, they'll never be heard from again.
But I'm in the very presence of God—
oh, how refreshing it is!
I've made Lord God my home.
God, I'm telling the world what you do!
In verse 17 of a more traditional translation, the psalmist says "Until I went into the sanctuary of God..." It was in the presence of God's majesty, they saw life as it really was. The glitter that the world was covered in had disappeared in the glory of God's majesty. It was like his eyes were open and he realized that looking at the world's happiness to what he got from God was like looking at gold-coloured glitter and then looking at a mountain of 18k of the real thing.
Don't be fooled by what the world lets you think that you're missing. If you are by the One Who has everything, you're missing NOTHING.
Exodus 16
11 The LORD said to Moses, 12 "I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, 'At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.' "
13 That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was.
Moses said to them, "It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat.
13 That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was.
Moses said to them, "It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat.
Believe me... that has a point and it's not that you're going to look out tomorrow morning and see bread falling from the sky... Well... you might.... but that's not the point.
Matthew 6:11
Give us this day our daily bread.
John 6
31 Our forefathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as the Scripture says, He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.(C)
32Jesus then said to them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Moses did not give you the Bread from heaven [what Moses gave you was not the Bread from heaven], but it is My Father Who gives you the true heavenly Bread.
33For the Bread of God is He Who comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world.
34Then they said to Him, Lord, give us this bread always (all the time)!
35Jesus replied, I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me will never be hungry, and he who believes in and cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me will never thirst any more (at any time).
47 I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, he who believes in Me [who adheres to, trusts in, relies on, and has faith in Me] has (now possesses) eternal life.
48I am the Bread of Life [that gives life--the Living Bread].
49Your forefathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and [yet] they died.
50[But] this is the Bread that comes down from heaven, so that [any]one may eat of it and never die.
57 Just as the living Father sent Me and I live by (through, because of) the Father, even so whoever continues to feed on Me [whoever takes Me for his food and is nourished by Me] shall [in his turn] live through and because of Me.
32Jesus then said to them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Moses did not give you the Bread from heaven [what Moses gave you was not the Bread from heaven], but it is My Father Who gives you the true heavenly Bread.
33For the Bread of God is He Who comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world.
34Then they said to Him, Lord, give us this bread always (all the time)!
35Jesus replied, I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me will never be hungry, and he who believes in and cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me will never thirst any more (at any time).
47 I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, he who believes in Me [who adheres to, trusts in, relies on, and has faith in Me] has (now possesses) eternal life.
48I am the Bread of Life [that gives life--the Living Bread].
49Your forefathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and [yet] they died.
50[But] this is the Bread that comes down from heaven, so that [any]one may eat of it and never die.
57 Just as the living Father sent Me and I live by (through, because of) the Father, even so whoever continues to feed on Me [whoever takes Me for his food and is nourished by Me] shall [in his turn] live through and because of Me.
Every day that you live it is a matter of continuously choosing to feed on the daily Bread, not only the word of God but the Word of God and take your portion of Jesus Himself so that while your spirit is saved, your soul (mind, will, intentions – which all have to be renewed until they are conformed to the mind, will and intentions of Christ) may go through the process of being saved and thus be lined up according to the freedom by which we were set free – the blood of Jesus Christ Himself.
It is something that one has to take the initiative to do. God will always send the Daily Bread but it is your prerogative to go and gather it.
It is something to be gathered daily because we CANNOT live off yesterday’s grace, yesterday’s anointing or even yesterday’s victories
In order to receive this daily Bread, it is CRUCIAL for us to spend time simply in the presence of God. It is in His Presence that these things rub off on you... literally. You begin to act like those who you hang out with. In spending time with Him, His Peace, Joy, Power, Glory begins to rub off on you.
Exodus 34
29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. 32 Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai.
33 When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. 34 But whenever he entered the LORD's presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35 they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD.
33 When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. 34 But whenever he entered the LORD's presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35 they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD.
Exodus 16
17 The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. 18 And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed.
Praise the Lord) there is no such thing as gathering too much or too little of God. Once you trust that He will provide for you His daily Bread, know that His grace is sufficient and that you have enough for the day. Surely, some days will require more grace than others but whatever the amount of daily Bread you have, know that you have enough.
